AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
In this episode, we examine two notable cases of what has been termed 'HIV reckless transmission,' an aspect of Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) where an individual transmits HIV to another without disclosing their status. The UK’s first man to be prosecuted, the judge remarked that the case relied on “pitiful evidence," highlighting the inherent difficulties in establishing a clear connection between the transmission of the virus.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
In this episode, we delve into the lives of three men whose HIV/AIDS status tragically intertwined with their court appearances, leading to a profound public outing by the media. Each individual faced not only the repercussions of their alleged crimes but also the harsh realities of stigma associated with their health condition.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
Mark Trotter, a social worker from Hackney, was also a figure within the Labour movement. Following his death in 1995 from AIDS, the press ignited a firestorm of allegations that branded him a paedophile. It then came to light that several accusations had been made against him prior to his death, yet Merseyside police arrived in London with an arrest warrant to find that Trotter had died two weeks earlier from AIDS.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
During the AIDS pandemic, a troubling subculture arose, characterised by exploitation. One woman sold her HIV positive test results to fraudsters to claim state benefits. Additionally, two were arrested for blackmailing supermarkets by threatening to inject food with HIV for money. These incidents show moral degradation in a crisis and the lengths some will go for financial gain.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
Judge Gloria presides over a high-profile case against Dr. James Sharp, exposed by investigative journalist Duncan Campbell and BBC's Watchdog of a fraudulent AIDS cure. Sharp faces the General Medical Council for misleading patients. Meanwhile, Mark Lloyd-Flynn was discovered stalking AIDS wards while posing as a doctor before being discovered interfering with patients care.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
This episode we learn a nine-year-old is killed by her mother given her own fear she had AIDS. Charged with murder she pleads manslaughter; her plea reveals the dangers of AIDS misinformation. Conversely, Ashley Gillard's trust in a lover leads to betrayal when he reveals his HIV status. His lover ignored Ashley’s seizure and instead watched him die before fleeing and setting fire to Ashley’s home.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
PART 2: Michele Lupo is arrested in an undercover police sting and charged for four murders and three attempted murders. He tells detectives he felt “abused” by friends and society as reason for random murder. However, Lupo tests positive for AIDS while in custody and detectives believe AIDS is motive for murder. As the investigation deepens, so do the headlines and wild police theories.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
PART 1: 1986, a series of tragic events unfolded in London, resulting in the murder of four men and the attempted murder of three others. The pivotal moment came when one of the survivors courageously identified Michele del Marco Lupo as the assailant in a local gay pub, leading to his arrest and a sentencing of four life terms.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
In 1982, San Francisco became a pivotal backdrop for a landmark moment in the fight against AIDS, as four men publicly revealed their diagnosis, courageously confronting the stigma and fear surrounding the disease. Their heartfelt testimonies illuminated the human experience behind the statistics, transforming ignorance into compassion.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
In 1985, four men each spoke on prime time television about their HIV diagnosis and the stigma around it. Speaking publicly challenged misinformation and societal backlash, humanising the struggles of those with HIV and promoting awareness and compassion. Their courage remains crucial in the fight against stigma and in advocating for the rights and respect of those affected by HIV/AIDS, even four decades on.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
Reverend Gregory Richards was thrust into the public eye under the most harrowing circumstances when he was diagnosed with AIDS. Labelled by the tabloid press as the “AIDS Priest” and “AIDS Chaplain,” he became a target for sensationalism and vilification, particularly due to his sexuality. A dedicated prison chaplain working with young offenders, he found himself at the centre of media scrutiny.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
Chris Egner, was an "outgoing" gay man in his twenties, and dedicated to helping others through his faith. At a time when blood donations were in demand he answered the call twice a year, unaware he was HIV+. When his plasma was pooled with thousands of other donors to create Factor8, the British press sensationalised the situation. Claiming he unwittingly infected 40 others, leading to controversy and unjust blame.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
John Lewis a young, talented music composer came to London and was commissioned to compose music for Ballet Rambert, the Swingle Singers, film, television and even the BBC’s Dr. Who. Little did John know that with all the trappings of London’s gay scene there was a silent and deadly pandemic looming that would end his life and attract press attention.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
It was one thing to have your HIV/AIDS diagnosis and your private life dragged through the British press. It was another if you were a respected medical or healthcare professional with an HIV/AIDS diagnosis. In 1992 & 1993 Dr. Curran, Dr. Clayton & Dr. Shuttleworth had their professional reputation scrutinised by the press causing widespread panic among their patients and the public.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
Martin Johnson met the late Diana, Princess of Wales on her first visit to the UK’s first AIDS hospice in February 1989. But no stranger to the press Martin was ‘outed’ as a gay man when subject to a police “raid” which saw him arrested along with 36 of his birthday guests in 1982. Accused of hosting an “orgy” Martin put his case before the European Court of Human Rights.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
In 1992 Roy Cornes was a 24, a haemophiliac, living with HIV through contaminated blood products and at the centre of a media frenzy. His life was turned upside down by one woman who alleged Roy was “knowingly” and deliberately spreading HIV to women. The media dubbed him a “maniac”, a “monster” and the “AIDS Casanova”. With plans for “hits” on his life & MPs raising urgent questions what happened next?
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
“DO NOT REVIVE - AIDS” was the suicide note left by grammar school teacher John Hutchinson, foreseeing his recent HIV test result being positive. We also look at two young men who took their own lives merely for ‘suspecting’ or ‘fearing’ they had HIV/AIDS given the stigma of 1988 where we learn they had nothing more than minor, common ailments and not HIV/AIDS.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
In a series finale Will & Gloria head to Brighton for the bank holiday weekend. The pair learn about the life of the UK’s first openly gay football referee, Norman Redman from West Sussex. Norman had to first contend with teams refusing to play because he was “homosexual”. Then teams refused to play when they learned Norman was “an AIDS carrier” as they deemed him “a health risk”.
AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
In 1985 a 29-year-old man named Roger Youd was subject to a court order detaining him in Monsall Hospital because he wanted to merely “go home”. Manchester council sought the order under the Public Health Act 1984 stating Roger was “very dangerous” to the public because he was "bleeding" and given he had “AIDS”. Little did they know the story would cause a national "furore”.
AIDS, THE LOST VOICES
A mother learns she is HIV positive days before delivering twins & learns she may have passed the virus on. And One-year-old Antony Thorpe is the first child in the UK to die of AIDS after receiving contaminated blood. And Eileen & Billy Quirk share how their 10-year-old son Stephen Quirk, was the first child living with haemophilia to die of AIDS after receiving contaminated blood products.